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Ethiopian-Spiced Pumpkin Bisque

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Sultry, spicy, and a little sweet, this creamy, vegan pumpkin soup is flavored with warming Ethiopian spices. Naturally gluten-free.

Ethiopian-Spiced Pumpkin Bisque

I can’t pass up a pumpkin. As soon as I see winter squash laid out in rows at our local produce stand, I have to stop and buy many more than we’ll actually eat. My daughter will insist that we pick up a pie pumpkin or two, while I’m drawn to the less traditional ones: the crookneck cushaws (which actually taste better in pies than the pie pumpkins), the blue hubbards, the pretty sweet dumplings, the hard-to-find kabocha.

If a pumpkin is truly fresh, it will keep through most of the winter in a cool place, but every year it seems I don’t use at least one in time and it goes from being a pretty table decoration to expensive compost. The thing that makes winter squash so attractive, their colorful skin, is the same thing that makes them seem intimidating and time-consuming to cook. That colorful rind is hard to peel and tough to cut through.

There’s an easy solution, to the peeling part at least. I bake it. I still need to get out my biggest, sharpest knife to cut it in half, but once I’ve muscled through that job and scraped out all the seeds and goop, I plop it into the oven and cook it until the orange flesh practically falls off that pesky skin. Then I add it to dishes where it doesn’t need to be too solid, or I blend it until it’s smooth and creamy, as in this soup, which isn’t quite ridiculously easy but is fairly simple.

Once the baked pumpkin was cool enough to handle, I scraped it off the rind and straight into my Vitamix, added the other ingredients, and blended it until smooth. (I was able to get the entire batch blended in my Vitamix with no problem, but if you’re working with another blender, you may need to blend it in batches.) Most bisque recipes call for the soup to be strained, but I like keeping all of the fiber, and the Vitamix makes it just as smooth as a fancy French strainer would.

Ethiopian-Spiced Pumpkin Soup

I was in the mood for berbere, the aromatic Ethiopian spice mixture, so I used some I had leftover from making Ethiopian-Inspired Red Lentil Soup. I’ve included the berbere recipe in the notes, but the truth is, you can season this basic soup with garam masala, curry powder, or just about any seasoning that catches your fancy. But if you like flavors that are sultry, spicy, and a little sweet, you really ought to give this Ethiopian-inspired version a try.

Ethiopian-Spiced Pumpkin Soup
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5 from 5 votes
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Ethiopian-Spiced Pumpkin Bisque

This is a very versatile recipe. You can use any type of winter squash instead of pumpkin and any type of seasoning instead of berbere, so this could be Curry-Spiced Butternut Soup or Baharat-Spiced Cushaw Soup. Just be sure you use around 3 cups of cooked squash and add seasonings carefully because they vary in potency.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 1 small pie pumpkin (about 3-pounds fresh or 3 cups cooked pumpkin or winter squash)
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2-4 teaspoons berbere spice mix* start with less and add more to taste
  • 1/2-1 cup non-dairy milk as needed (I used unsweetened So Delicious coconut beverage, but any kind will do)
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • pumpkin seeds for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350. Cut the pumpkin or squash in half and scrape out all seeds and strings. Place it cut-side up on a baking sheet and cover with foil (or place in a large, covered baking dish). Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until flesh is very tender when pricked with a fork. Remove and allow to cool until it can be handled comfortably.
  • Cook the onion in a large, non-stick pot over medium-high heat until it begins to brown. (If it starts to stick, add a tablespoon of water and stir well.) Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add a splash of the vegetable broth to deglaze the pan, and then pour the onions into the blender. Scrape the pumpkin out of its shell and add the flesh to the blender, along with the remaining broth, tomato paste, and berbere spice mix. Blend until smooth.
  • Pour the contents of the blender back into the pan, cover, and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the non-dairy milk, using as much as needed to reach the right consistency. Add the lime juice, salt, and pepper, and simmer for about 5 more minutes before serving. 
  • Serve in shallow bowls, sprinkled with pumpkin seeds, if desired.

Notes

You can use packaged berbere seasoning or make your own. To make the berberé spice mixture, combine:
  • 1 tsp. ground cardamom 
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 1 tsp. ground fenugreek
  • 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 tsp. ground allspice
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (use less to decrease spiciness or substitute paprika)
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. ground sea salt (optional)
Important: This recipe makes much more than you will actually need to make the soup. Store the excess in a tightly covered container.
Nutrition Facts
Ethiopian-Spiced Pumpkin Bisque
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 75 Calories from Fat 5
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.5g 1%
Sodium 273mg 11%
Total Carbohydrates 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2.2g 9%
Sugars 4g
Protein 3.6g 7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Course Soup
Cuisine Ethiopian, Vegan
Tried this recipe?Post a photo to Instagram and tag @susanffvk!

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Sultry, spicy, and a little sweet, this creamy, vegan pumpkin soup is flavored with warming Ethiopian spices. Naturally gluten-free.

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Comments

  2. Janet

    November 8, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    This looks yummy. You can also bake a pumpkin or any other kind of squash without cutting it in half first. Just poke 8-10 holes in it with a sharp knife then stick it in the oven. Cutting it open and removing the seeds is easy after it bakes and cools.

    Reply

  5. CLEVegan

    November 8, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    This looks like a great “snack” while waiting for the big Thanksgiving feast! Since I don’t have a blender, I’d like to put the squash, broth & spices into the onion pot and use my immersion blender. Susan, do you think that would work? I would not use a no-stick pot so the blender wouldn’t mess up the coating,.

    Reply

  9. Lani Muelrath

    November 8, 2011 at 8:12 pm

    I keep coming back to look at this picture. It’s embarrassing!

    Thanks for the beauty and health hit today. I’m going crazy for butternut squash and used it in a soup recipe (with smokey paprika!) that I’m putting up on my blog tomorrow. But in a photo contest yours win hands down!

    Yummers,
    Lani

    Reply

  10. carole swansiger

    November 8, 2011 at 10:53 pm

    Depending on the size of the pumpkin/squash , the outside rind can be softened in the microwave before trying to cut through and baking in the oven. It also cuts down on the amount of oven time needed. This has saved me many struggles with the tough out skin of squash/pumpkin

    Reply

  11. Kali

    November 9, 2011 at 7:51 am

    My favorite time of year is pumpkin time! Making delicious pumpkin “flavored” recipes is a weakness of mine. I love trying new ones and this one sure does look good! Thanks for sharing and I hope to try it soon!

    Reply

  12. Amy

    November 9, 2011 at 1:32 pm

    I also do bake my pumpkins instead of trying to peel them… and then I scoop the flesh off, mash it and freeze the puree for later use – canned pumpkin isn’t sold here. However, some pumpkins have edible skin – the kabochas (which are plentiful here in Belgium for some strange reason) I often cube with the skin on and use them in a stew…

    Reply

  13. Maria Lewis

    November 9, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    Oooh! This was yummy with butternut squash. Left out the cayenne, and my daughter polished off a ton of it in two days! I used two tsp of nice fresh spice mixture, and it was quite strong. (Four tsp would have been overspiced, and I like strong spice.) Worked great in my food processor. Berbere is new to me and I love it. Thanks again for sharing your talent!

    Reply

  21. laurengw

    November 13, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    I made this tonight except I did it half butternut squash, half pumpkin. I roasted a small butternut squash and used most of that but used canned pumpkin. I also substituted a fresh farmers market tomato for the paste. My spice blend was missing two ingredients that I did not have (allspice and fenugreek).

    All this said… it turned out GREAT! Thanks for another great recipe.

    Reply

  22. Sarah with Veggie Kids

    November 13, 2011 at 11:00 pm

    That looks so tasty! I have an Ethiopian cookbook sitting on my shelf I should crack open….such yummy flavors. And I’m like you, any time I see squash, pumpkins or any other festive fall/winter item as such I buy too many!!

    Reply

  23. Marie

    November 20, 2011 at 2:36 pm

    I love winter squash too but was having trouble with cutting them up also. I found that if you ask the produce clerk at almost any grocery store, they are happy to take the squash of your choice to the back and chop it in half with their big machete and wrap each half in plastic wrap. This has even saved me once from a spaghetti squash that was rotten inside and I couldn’t tell from outside. No more straining my hands and wrists. I highly recommend it! 🙂

    Reply

  24. Eliz Staeheli

    November 24, 2011 at 5:58 pm

    I made this today out of a huge pumpkin that wasn’t all that good for cooking. After baking, the flesh was still stringy, and it wasn’t looking like it would make good pies, so I opted for the soup. It was as good as any pumpkin or squash soup I’ve bought at the store. I like the spice mixture. I had to improvise with what I had on hand. Substituted extra coriander for the cardamom, and a little cumin for the teaspoon of cloves, etc., in order to use what I had on hand. It was a very satisfying soup and not difficult to make. Cleaning the food processor was the hardest part! I will make it again.

    Reply

  25. Patricia Sjöberg

    November 29, 2011 at 11:21 am

    I can’t wait to make this. I don’t know how my kids will react to it, though. I think the berbere mix should give it a very interesting, almost sweet flavor.

    Reply

  26. Alyssa

    December 5, 2011 at 7:42 pm

    What an outstanding recipe!! I am eating a bowl right now with my boyfriend and we are both smiling in delight. The blend of spices surprises your palette with every bite. Truly delicious. We topped ours with toasted pepitas mixed with chili powder and it added just a bit more kick. Thanks for sharing and I’m excited to continue to try your yummy vegan recipes 🙂

    Reply

  27. Shreyas

    December 27, 2011 at 8:10 am

    I change the garnish on this recipe, I added fresh thyme and made fresh almond butter, placed that in the center with roasted pumpkin seeds around and fresh thyme sprinkled around.

    Reply

  28. waldripp

    November 16, 2012 at 1:31 pm

    I just made this and it is so good! It was my first time cooking pumpkin rather than using canned so I appreciated the directions. I used three teaspoons of the berbere and it was perfectly spicy! I too tried using my immersion blender but it didn’t seem to be powerful enough (perhaps my pumpkin was not cooked enough) so I put it in the food processor and it came out fine! Thanks!

    Reply

  29. KBeane

    November 28, 2012 at 12:22 pm

    I’m sure this would be fabulous with fresh roasted pumpkin, but I made this last night to use some leftover canned (I used about 1.5 cans), and is quite delicious. I used about 3 tsp of the berbere blend, and probably wouldn’t have wanted much more; the spices were very strong tasting (and quite a kick with the cayenne which was great). Since I was using canned, I didn’t use my blender, so it was a tad chunkier than the photo because of the chopped onion, but still quite smooth. I am eating the leftovers now for lunch and I think it tastes even better than last night!

    I will add that since the spice mix is strong and a bit unusual, not everyone will like it. My husband ate his, but this was definitely not his favorite meal.

    Reply

  30. Yehudit

    January 15, 2013 at 12:27 pm

    I just finished eating a large mug of this soup. I have a nasty cold and the spices really warmed me up. I did add the larger amount of spice so had to counter it with more coconut milk.Next time I may not add the whole amount. Like in the lentil soup with this same spice mixture it probably would have been good to use sweet potato, perhaps half/half, to balance the spicy flavor.

    Reply

  31. maddie

    June 25, 2013 at 12:09 am

    This looks mad as! Just wondering though, its says it serves 6, what size are the servings? Could it be 6 main meals with some bread rolls or somethings? and do you think I could use unsweetened almond milk? thanks so much 🙂

    Reply

  32. Katya

    October 18, 2013 at 2:26 pm

    This soup is delicious and was easy to make, thank you! I used a quarter cup of soy milk and found that it was ruining the flavor, so I didn’t add any more. I think coconut milk would work much better or maybe it would be okay to use no milk at all.

    Reply

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